Child's Play: Made With Love
by TheFifthSister
Summary: HG and Myka take up a secret project.


It was Sunday morning. They had nowhere to be, no artifacts to track, the world didn't need saving, they were just a normal family with a day off. They could hear Emma playing in her room but both were a little reluctant to get out of bed. She hadn't come to wake them yet so they were happy to have a lie in until she decided to come looking for the two of them. It was still early anyway.

Myka lay on her back, HG on her stomach with an arm thrown over Myka's waist and her head resting next to hers on the pillow.

"What's she doing?" HG asked, eyes still closed to the day as she held tightly to the last threads of sleep as she enjoyed the chance to relax.

Myka listened carefully, trying to pick up the threads of storyline out of what they could hear their daughter saying. She got lost in her own world of stories and, while Myka and HG tried to read her a variety of stories, there were a few adventures she came back to and loved to act out with her toys.

"It sounds like _War of the Worlds_ in there today," Myka laughed.

"I can't believe you got her that book," HG opened one accusatory eye in her wife's direction.

"I really think we should read it to her," Myka argued.

"I still think she's too young," HG argued. "I didn't tell Christina that story until she was seven."

"My Dad read me your books when I was Emma's age and they didn't do me any harm. I loved them."

"Well, you are my biggest fan," HG teased, snuggling into her wife a little and savouring the calm and serenity they found themselves in.

"So, I've been thinking," Myka broke the silence. Lip warring away between her teeth, she started to play with locks of HG's hair.

HG noticed and rolled on to her side, propping her head on her hand and regarding the woman she was curled around. "Will I like this train of thought?"

"I was thinking that we could get Emma a bike… or… or maybe a scooter. When we went to the park the other day some of the kids were riding around and maybe it'd be something that she'd like. I know I liked riding a bike when I was a kid."

HG rolled on to her back, regarding the ceiling.

"I know we've talked about getting her a bike before and you're concerned she's too young but really a scooter wouldn't be so bad. You know, it's a lot safer and easier to learn and... Helena she was so mesmerized watching some of the kids riding them."

HG smiled. "Maybe that's something I could put together." Her face lit with the possibilities, ideas and the beginnings of designs starting to flicker through her head. The look of discomfort on Myka's face made her stop. "What?"

Myka bit her lip, guilt sweeping across her face and she couldn't look at HG. She felt like the worst person in the world for what she was about to say. "Honey, I know you love tinkering and making things for Emma, and I'm the first person to encourage you to do that, you know that, but her first scooter is kind of a big deal… and… and I want it to be from both of us." She played with the edge of the duvet and then spoke fast. "So maybe we could just buy her one?"

Now HG felt bad. She hadn't intended for Myka to feel left out. She hadn't intended for her to feel like she couldn't just say that without feeling guilty about it either. They were a partnership after all.

"Myka…"

"I know, I know," Myka cut her off. "I just… I want to treat her and I… I'm sorry. I shouldn't feel… I'm being ridiculous. Of course you should be able to make what you want for Emma and I should support…"

"Myka," HG interrupted the rant before it could get into full swing. "I understand. Emma is _our_ daughter. But why have buy something when we can do it ourselves? We can do it, you and me. Together. We can go to the hardware store or find what we need online and then construct one ourselves. There's nothing to stop us making something completely unique and still spoil our little girl."

Myka made a face. "But, that's your world… I…"

"Nonsense," HG reassured her. "You've helped me enough times in the past on enough projects. This won't be any different except you have to be equally as involved."

"Really?" Myka perked up. "I get to play in the secret lab."

HG laughed, wrapping her arms around Myka and pulling her close. "You, my darling, can play in my secret lab anytime you want to."

Myka kissed her, biting HG's lower lip and gave it a little tug. "That was a given." She teased, kissing her again. "So _we_ have a secret project. Awesome."

"We can start today, decide what we want to do," HG pushed a curl behind an ear. "Lazy day at home, we can sit in the yard and let Emma play."

"Okay," Myka agreed, burrowing deeper into HG and the bed, positions now reversed Myka wrapped herself around her wife. "Just not right now."

* * *

Eventually they'd gotten up, had breakfast with their daughter and were sitting on the swing seat in their backyard. HG had her notebook on her lap and was curled up with Myka as they discussed what they wanted to do as Emma played up in her treehouse.

It was simple really. Two wheels, a deck to stand on which attached to handle bars and a break at the back. HG argued safety features, ever worried that something was going to happen to her little girl and Myka let her go through her lists, bigger wheels, more wheels, different brake systems, but in the end they settled on a basic design, with a lot of personification and the flare that was so common in all of HG's inventions. They'd be no mistaking it as one of a kind when they were done. And Myka had pointed out to her wife that there was no end of safety gear they could get; helmets, kneepads and elbow pads and they would teach her how to be safe riding it.

HG finished out her sketch and showed it to Myka, who beamed at her genius wife. "Have I told you lately how much I love your mind?" She looked the design over again. "Do you think we could add something at the front for her to put her bears in? Like a basket?"

HG considered that for a minute. "It might over balance, but that's something we could take into account and readjust the weight around here." She indicated the deck. "But I'm sure it's possible."

The sound of Emma clamouring down the ladder from her treehouse stopped them discussing anything more. HG closed the notebook, flashing a smirk at Myka, both of them feeling quite pleased with themselves.

"What you making Mummy?" Emma asked, tapping on the familiar notebook.

"Nothing sweetheart," HG told her, rolling her eyes at Myka. Nothing escaped their daughter's notice.

"Will you have a tea party with me?" Emma asked her mothers.

"Of course sweetheart," HG nodded. "We'll be right there."

Emma ran off and climbed back up the tree. HG opened the notebook again. "I think this will do. I'll have a look on the internet tonight for materials and swing by the hardware store tomorrow. Hopefully we can get this started next weekend."

Myka smiled. "I'm excited."

"I'm going to hide this from madam," HG hefted the notebook. "I'll grab some drinks and meet you up there."

* * *

It had taken HG a few days to get everything they needed or at least ordered for delivery by the end of the week. She once again marvelled at the ease with which she could acquire what she needed unlike the days of past when she'd have to barter or use her connections within the Warehouse or through her brother to get what she needed. The world had indeed changed.

It took a few weeks for them to be able to start work. Myka had gone on a mission with Pete the weekend they were due to start and the following weekend HG had come down with the flu, being confined to bed rest on Myka's orders. Eventually though Pete had offered to take Emma out for the day, wanting to spend some time with his niece and allow her moms to start. They'd sent her off and ran upstairs to change into something they could work in. Myka threw on an old tank top and ripped jeans and tied her hair back whilst HG had put on some ripped shorts and one of Myka's old shirts and ran down to get her workstation ready.

HG was excited. While Myka had often kept her company when she tinkered, the usual extent of her involvement was to hand her tools if she needed them and steal looks over the top over whatever book it was that she was reading that day. This was going to be different.

Myka walked down into the basement and was shocked that in no time at all HG had lit candles on every surface in the room, filling the 'lab' as they called it with warmth and light.

"What's all this?" Myka asked as HG came up behind her, wrapping her arms around her.

"Well, my love, this is how I used to work," HG explained. "If we're going to do this we're going to do this right."

Myka smiled. She still felt a sense of pride when she thought of her Victorian wife slaving away over grapplers and time machines in secret labs somewhere breaking boundaries, challenging society and advancing science with each bolt she tightened. "And the wine?" she asked, noticing the bottle sitting atop the work bench with two glasses beside it.

"Oh, that's purely for the romance, darling." HG kissed her neck, giving her a squeeze before walking to the workbench and pouring each of them a glass. She handed one to Myka and lifted her own glass. "To another adventure."

Myka laughed as she clinked her glass with HG's.

They got to work, HG taking the lead and laying out the parts as if they were a skeleton, each in line with where it needed to be attached and got Myka covered with protective gear as they cut and formed metal and created a deck, cutting wood to set on it. HG created the handle bar and helped Myka attach everything. Her arms wrapped around Myka from behind, her hands guiding Myka and showing her how and where to screw something together and helping tighten bolts, her lips wandering a path along her wife's neckline, her jaw, her face and the two would get lost in kissing each other, hands wandering as they'd forget what they were in the process they were doing. Tools would clatter, parts wall fall down and the noise would break them free of one another with an amused look and they'd carry on with their project but it would start all over again in a few minutes time and Myka would turn and climb into HG's lap and kiss until they reminded themselves that they needed to finish.

HG wished Myka had been this involved with other projects, the mixture of romance and creation was intoxicating to her and she was starting to think of other things the two of them could do together. Having her arms around the woman she loved, hand in hand, sharing in one of the things that defined her as a person, the candles, the ambience, not to mention the bottle of wine they'd drank were all adding together to make a great memory and she hoped that they'd have time before Emma got home for her to be able to drag Myka up to their room when they were done.

When the assembly was complete and they'd checked everything was in working order they added padding to the handles, spray painted the frame, they created a stencil and sprayed 'E B W' on the top of the wood set in the middle of the deck, and then they stood back to admire their work.

"Well, darling, I think it's safe to assume that Emma is going to have the most stylish and well-crafted scooter the park has ever seen," HG announced a little smugly.

"Helena, she's going to love this," Myka sighed. She smiled at her wife, so proud of what the two of them had done for their daughter.

HG and Myka had streaks of oil, lubricant and paint all over them, and HG couldn't help but find the look extremely appealing on her wife. She flicked her eyes to the clock next to the work bench. "We still have some time before Pete brings Emma home. Care to join me for a shower?"

Myka had noticed the looks her wife had been giving her and all the making out they'd been doing in between work had stirred a fire in her too. She grabbed HG's hand, blew out the candles around the room and pulled her upstairs.

* * *

They had left the project for a couple of days to ensure all the paint dried and to check it some more to be certain it was safe for Emma. There was no way either of them was going to let anything cause Emma to get injured. HG gave it the all clear and added some finishing touches. They'd gotten a basket small enough for Emma's favourite bear that wouldn't topple the scooter, HG added a kick stand so it could be stood when Emma wasn't riding and Claudia had talked them into adding some tassels to the handle bars.

Myka was brimming with excitement. She'd been waiting all week for the chance to give Emma her surprise and HG was laughing at the trouble she was having controlling herself.

"You are entirely too adorable when you do something nice for Emma," HG told her. "I can never tell who loves it more. You or her." Myka made a face at her, shooing her out into the front yard to set the scooter up by the driveway so Emma could ride it.

"Emma," Myka called up to her daughter who they'd told to play in her room so she wouldn't get suspicious. "Can you come here for a minute baby?"

HG joined her at the bottom of the stairs, nodding her head to confirm it was in place. Emma came bounding down the stairs, stopping at the bottom and looking at them expectantly.

"We have a surprise for you," HG told her.

They watched the excitement light up her face, a smile spreading across her face and her eyes widening with joy. "Oooh," she cheered and jumped up and down on the step. "What is it?

HG tutted. "Now if we told you that it wouldn't be a surprise, would it?"

"Cover your eyes. No peeking," Myka instructed as she swooped Emma up into her arms and carried her, making sure she wasn't trying to sneak a look as HG opened the door and led the way outside. "Keep them covered. You can't look yet." She exchanged an amused look with HG as they watched her face scrunch up, screwing her eyes shut tight with her hands firmly covering her eyes.

"No peeking," Emma promised them.

Myka set Emma down, HG covered her hands with her own to make sure she didn't look just yet as Myka and HG knelt down on either side of her to watch the look on her face.

"One," Myka started.

"Two," HG continued as she removed her hands.

"THREE!" Emma cheered and uncovered her eyes.

Myka and HG grinned as they watched her eyes bug out as she took in the baby blue and chrome and wood scooter in front of her. She looked at her parents in disbelief. "That's for me?"

HG squeezed her. "Yes, it's all yours darling. Do you want to try it?"

Emma ran to it, playing with the gold glittery tassels on the handles and giggled when noticed her bear was sitting on the front. "What are you doing there Mr Bear? Silly bear." She laughed.

"He can go on rides with you," Myka told her. She took her cell phone and walked down the driveway a little, getting the camera set and holding the phone up.

"Ride to me Emma," Myka called. "Mummy will help you." She hit record and watched as HG showed her to move the kick stand, where to stand and hold on, how to steer and then Emma was pushing off in Myka's direction with HG following behind with a hand braced against her back to steady her until she got the hang of it. She flew down the driveway in no time.

"Look Mama!" she screamed happily.

"I see baby," Myka smiled. "You're so good at that."

She hopped off when she got to Myka, turned around and flew back in the other direction. HG sat down besides Myka on the grass and they watched Emma flying up and down, laughing and cheering as she went and getting more excited with each pass that she made.

She eventually stopped, running over to her parents and throwing herself at them. Myka caught her and gave her a hug while HG kissed her atop her curls, both feeling very proud of what they'd accomplished.

"Thank you," Emma beamed.

"You're welcome sweetheart," HG told her. "But you have to promise us to be careful on it, okay?"

"'kay." Emma nodded.

"How about we take a walk to the park and you can ride it properly?" Myka suggested.

"Yes please." Emma ran back and got on her scooter, waiting for her mothers to get up.

"Let me lock the door then we can go," Myka told her. She ran into the house, grabbed her keys and locked the door then joined her family who were waiting at the end of the driveway for her. She took hold of HG's hand as they started off. "Lead the way Ems."


End file.
